Best Bid

“Low bids might be good for B.C. Liberals, but best bids are what we are going to do.”- Premier John Horgan

BCCA named “Best Bid” the most important two words in construction for 2017.

In construction, the success or failure of a project begins with the procurement process. The definition of “best bid” is potentially the most important definition for BC’s economy: it will determine which contractors are successful in making their bids for government projects totalling in the billions of dollars.

“The go-forward decision for Site C is an important example of why the definition of “best bid” matters,” says BCCA President Chris Atchison. “The Premier has stated that low bid is no longer BC Hydro’s most important consideration, referring to new priorities such as local benefit and the hiring of Indigenous workers. When subjective criteria enter the award process, we risk compromising the integrity of the final product and add risk for the taxpayers.”

What is "Best Bid"?

Definition: An offer to do work at a stated price of the most excellent, effective, and desirable quality.

In a construction bid, desirable qualities are defined by a set of non-subjective criteria which the owner uses to identify the proponent with the optimal combination of relevant experience, skills, competencies, and price. Ideally (to insure a fair, open and transparent process) this is a two stage process, with the second stage focusing on the price.

“Several contractors submitted bids for the seismic upgrade project. The successful bidder was the one with significant experience in similar seismic upgrades who proved their ability to maintain tight schedules and budgets, demonstrated the quality of their team (particularly highly skilled site superintendents and project management staff), provided bonds and meaningful references, and whose bid aligned with the stated budget and schedule.”